Allahabad High Court Bans Commercial Activities on Educational Institution Grounds in Uttar Pradesh

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that properties belonging to educational institutions throughout Uttar Pradesh, including their playgrounds, cannot be utilized for commercial activities such as exhibitions, fairs, or retail operations.

A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra instructed the state government to issue a formal circular within one month to all district administrations, police departments, and educational institutions at every level to enforce this directive.

This judgment came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Girja Shankar, who sought court intervention to halt a commercial fair being organized within the premises of the government-aided Brahmanand Degree College in Rath, Hamirpur district.

According to the petition, a commercial fair had been conducted on the open grounds of the college, which is affiliated with Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, since the previous year, reportedly with the approval of the college principal.

After reviewing the arguments and evidence presented, the court emphasized, "Educational institutions are meant for imparting education only and the land and building belonging to such institutions which include their playgrounds also cannot be permitted to be used for holding any commercial activity under any name, like exhibitions, trade fairs or other kinds of fairs, or sale of one or the other articles and goods etc."

The court further stated, "Infrastructure of educational institutions is meant to be utilized strictly for the purposes of educational activities and those associated and linked thereto like holding of sports events, cultural, inter-schools competitions and such other identical curricular activities organized by the institution itself and for no other purpose."

The High Court noted that educational institutions exist solely for providing education and their facilities should not be repurposed for commercial ventures.